More body-horror courtesy of Cronenberg but this time it's Cronenberg fils as opposed to Cronenberg pere. "Antiviral" is another dystopian fantasy set in a world that very much resembles our own but one in which a high-tech clinic sells celebrity viruses that are readily taken up by fans seeking a new thrill; illness as sexual pleasure with an obvious AIDS metaphor.
It's clear that young Cronenberg has been heavily influenced by his dad's early work, particularly "Shivers" and "Videodrome" with a little touch of "Soylent Green" thrown in for good measure but this is altogether more sophisticated than any of these and there's a nice touch of the living dead about the ashen-faced performance of Caleb Landry Jones as the Frankenstein figure who becomes his own monster as he injects more and more of the virus into his body. The plot may not always be the easiest to follow but this is a very stylish piece of sci-fi-cum-horror and it looks absolutely terrific.
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